Health News in Brief: December 2003 Deputy Health Secretary Says No New Money For IHS
Window Rock, AZ -- Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Claude Allen said the federal government would not provide additional health care funding for the Indian Health Service, even as he acknowledged that minority populations in the United States receive less government money for health care. He made his comments in November during a cultural visit to the Navajo Nation. "It's no secret that in communities of color, whether it be Latino American or African American... there are disparities" in allocating health care resources, the deputy secretary said. But in response to calls by Navajo leaders for additional health care spending to address those disparities, Allen could only offer that "We don't do the budget. That's in Congress' hands. We just spend the money."
	Deputy Secretary of Health Claude Allen (R) speaks with Malito Jasuus during a goodwill tour to the Navajo Nation. (Photo courtesy of IHS)

Allen said, however, that he had not seen a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights entitled "A Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country," that reported the United States paid as little as $800 in health care costs for each Navajo person in 2003, but spent an average of $3,803 in health care costs for each incarcerated federal inmate. The average health care cost for each American was estimated at $5,775. The report also notes that the IHS has only 59 percent of the operating budget that it really needs. The Indian Health Service administers health care programs and services for all American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Report Cites Risky Behavior by Students at BIA-Funded Schools

Washington, D.C. -- Many students who attend Bureau of Indian Affairs funded schools engage in risky behavior that put them at risk for premature death and disability, says a federal study released in November. The survey report was completed in 2001 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Office of Indian Education.

The survey measured the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among adolescents through school-based surveys conducted at the national, state, and local levels and among targeted populations. The report says that 80 percent of students at BIA schools had used alcohol at least once in their lifetime, while nearly 49 percent currently still use alcohol. Another 38 percent said they engaged in heavy drinking.

Results also showed an increase in substance and alcohol abuse by grade level and a higher rate of current drug usage and heavy drinking among males. Nearly half of female respondents said they currently used marijuana use, while one-fifth reported use of cocaine and methamphetamine. Nearly 87 percent of the students reported using cigarettes at least once. More than 56 percent reported current usage of cigarettes, while 24 percent said they frequently use cigarettes.

More than 5,600 questionnaires were completed out of 8,500 students from 66 BIA-funded schools. In total, there are 185 BIA schools located on 63 Indian reservations in 23 states with an enrollment of approximately 50,000 students.

IHS Announces Hundreds of Scholarships to Fund Indian Medical Students

Washington, D.C. -- The Indian Health Service has announced the availability of approximately $3,733,332 to fund scholarships for American Indians and Alaska Natives pursuing preparatory, pregraduate, and professional programs. Approximately 200 awards, 100 of which are continuing, will run for at least 10 months and the average award to a full-time student is approximately $20,000. In 2004, approximately $1,500,000 is available for continuation awards and approximately $2,233,000 is available for new awards. Approximately 340 awards will be made under the Indian Health Scholarship (Professions) Program. Awards will be made to both full-time and part-time students. These awards are for 12 months in duration and the average award to a full-time student is for approximately $23,500. Up to five percent of available funds will be used for part-time scholarships. These grants programs are intended to encourage American Indians and Alaska Natives to enter the health professions and to assure the availability of Indian health professionals to serve Indians. Deadlines for applying for these grants is February 28, 2004.

For more information, visit
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-26698.htm or contact Mr. Jess Brien at (301) 443-6197.
For grants information, contact Mr. Bernard Covers Up at (301) 443-5204.

Michigan Tribes Part of Federal Effort to Target Unhealthy Eating Habits

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Indian tribes in Michigan are about to urge a return to traditional menus like wild rice and fresh fish, in hopes of fighting soaring diabetes and obesity. Michigan is one the first of about a dozen recipients of $13.6 million in federal grants to target unhealthy habits in local communities. The program is set to become the government's centerpiece in the fight against obesity.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson has asked Congress for $125 million more in 2004 to pay for dozens of similar programs in communities nationwide. "This is the most difficult thing anybody can ever try to do, to get people to change their habits," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said.

The Michigan project will encompass eight Indian tribal communities, almost 43,000 people, where deaths from diabetes are six times the national average. As part of its $250,000 healthier-communities grant, tribal elders will encourage a return to more traditional foods – fresh fish, berries, wild rice -- instead of today's processed fare. The project will measure if the diet switch is feasible and whether it helps people to trim weight. Other pilot programs are also underway in California and Massachusetts.

To view other Health Briefs, please visit:
Index to Health Briefs